First we took the Metro to the Mall to attend a party in honor of Howard Dean, the retiring head of the Democratic National Committee. Our sense of direction led us to walk a few block in the wrong direction and we got ourselves "trapped" in a security moment.
We were standing on a corner where the police had shut down all traffic and pedestrian movement. Why? Barack Obama was going to be in his first full Washington DC motorcade as he went from his train to the Blair House. So, for 40 minutes, we stood with a group of 20 other tourists, freezing and having fun. Finally, the motorcade sped past and it was a great confirmation that "Change" was a coming. And, they let us cross the street to go to our party.
The 2 parties that we sent to that night were total contrasts. The Howard Dean party had great food, yummy drinks and almost no mention of or reference to Obama. The guests were long time DNC folks and supporters of Dean (which we were were neither...but they sent us a nice invite, so we went). The music was sedate and the vibe matched that. Since, Howard Dean was not invited to join the Administration, there was a sense of retirement and disappointment amongst his fans. So, we went, we ate, we drank, we schmoozed a little and we left.
The Obama party was kicking! In the room where one of the Inaugural Balls will be held on Tuesday night, the party included the major donors and supporters of the campaign. The DJ played a great mix of 80's, 90's and recent music. The crowd was in total celebration mode and it was fun to see supporters from Obama's law school, regional donors and folks like Senator Claire McCaskill from Missouri dancing to "We Are Family" and "RESPECT". The diversity in this room was stunning and it was quite emotional to rock out last night! The rythmn of Hope is incredible.
